Krul - A bit of payback

Tim Krul has admitted it felt 'fantastic' to take revenge on Bolton following their victory at the Reebok Stadium on Boxing Day.

Newcastle keeper thrilled with performance at Bolton

Tim Krul has admitted it felt 'fantastic' to take revenge on Bolton following Newcastle's victory at the Reebok Stadium on Boxing Day. The Magpies were thrashed 5-1 by Bolton in November 2010 and Krul concedes that he was not relishing the prospect of taking on Owen Coyle's side this term. He expected a tough game and there was nothing to choose between the teams until deep in the second half, when a quickfire double from Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba sealed a 2-0 success. Krul was delighted to pick up three points and bring some festive cheer to Newcastle's supporters after a six-match winless run before Christmas. "It is a great Christmas present," the goalkeeper told the club's official website. "We worked hard in the morning yesterday on Christmas Day, but this is our rewards for that. "This is one of those games that before the season you are not looking forward to going to. "It is a hard place to come - we know that from last year - and it's a bit of a payback from us for last year, when we had a very difficult game. "What a fantastic result though. A clean sheet and three points, and it can't get any better than that."

Strength in depth

Krul believes the win at Bolton also demonstrated Newcastle's strength in depth, with Ben Arfa making the decisive breakthrough after coming on as a substitute and Mike Williamson impressing in defence on his first start since October. "Besty worked his socks off for the first 60 minutes and that paved the way for Hatem to show the extra bit of quality which he brings to the team," explained Krul. "And it was great to see Willo back as well. He won every header and it was such a massive bonus for us because it stops all their momentum. "He was class, for me and the team. Having been out for that long, he didn't look like he had been away, and it's fantastic to have a solid player like that back in the team. "It gives you that extra bit of confidence."